The Other Side
by Kickstart Asylum
Summary: There are three things Jessal is obsessed with; friends, fanfic, and games. Not necessarily in that order. The squad gets together for a game night, no biggie. But when they're tossed into Thedas, with happenstance giving them a brat to protect, they're not sure it'll be so easy to get back - there's the Fade, and Earth is on the other side.
1. Chapter 1

"Dude, you need a new controller." Jacob laughed, shaking his head at Jessal's pitifully duct taped controller that had several wires poking out of the left side. It was a wonder it actually still worked.

"Yeah, but that would require me to buy it myself and my job just doesn't support such frivolity." She quoted a line her parents were fond of. Aaron just rolled his eyes, swatting Jacob. "Be nice, this is the first time in over a month she's been able to chill with us."

"Yeah, what gives?" He looked at her. "Spill, who's the new healer? Is he cute?"

"Jacob!" Aaron tried to hide his laughing, but failed.

"What?"

"There is no new healer. Class and work has kept me busy is all. And I already roll with the best." She teased. She liked the banter. it was reliable. You knew who would say what.

Powering up the console, they waited for the game to download. "Where's Janice and Alex?"

"Alex said she was running late but she'd make it for pizza at the latest, and Janice said she had a bad feeling about tonight. She's probably locked behind a door with salt lines and shit everywhere."

"Hey, don't knock it, that stuff might actually work."

"Yeah, and pigs might actually fly."

The door swung open and Alex burst in, bags hanging off her arms.

"Eyyyy, I brought food! And pop. But mostly Doritos and Cheese Puffs." She looked at the screen. "Oh damn, still loading?"

"I thought you were running late." Jessal asked, setting her controller down.

"Boss let me out early since I managed to get the new guy to cover my shift. Poor dude."

"Awww, Alex has a boytoy!" Jacob grinned.

"Do not. I just promised him a return favor. Got it written down and everything."

"Oooh, it's serious!" He ducked the bag of Doritos Alex threw at him and smirked. "Suspicion confirmed. I repeat, suspicion confirmed. Alex has a new guy. Say your goodbyes now, we won't see her for a while."

"Wait, Jessal. You do realize your niece is here?" Alex sat down, dishing out the pop and 'food'.

"Shouldn't be. Birbs." She hopped up off her chair and left, looking in the kitchen.

"Hey brat, what're you doing here?"

"Mom had to work. She said Grandma said you'd watch me."

"Uh, tonight's game night. You gonna snitch if we're less than stellar poster children?"

"What's in it for me?"

"Pop and junk food. I got a bunch of ice cream in the freezer too."

"Or I could just spoil the ending for you. You're playing Inquisition, right?"

"Get in here, and no spoilers! How would you even know?"

"Tumblr. Gotta love it."

"Shut up."

"You black listed spoilers, didn't you?"

'"I said shut up." They settled into the seating arrangement just as the game finished downloading. The theme song blared, and Aaron dove for the TV remote, hurriedly turning the volume down.

"Well, then."

"Hey, you know it's supposed to storm, right?" Renee said, just as thunder rumbled outside, rain hitting the window.

"Oh look, I'm psychic."

"We'll be fine." Famous last words. Just as Jessal hit 'New Game', a bolt of lightning caused a power surge, matching the explosion onscreen.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Jessal was aware of was a green light, and her first thoughts immediately went to The Great Gatsby. Then the pain flared up her arm, and it took her a moment, two moments, three moments, to realize the light and the pain were connected. She opened her eyes just as the door swung open and a woman stormed in.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." At the word 'we,' Jessal looked around and finally noticed the other woman, standing off to the side. Her first instinct was to be sarcastic with the 'wife and two kids' quip, but when she recognized the two from the epilogue from Dragon Age II, she stopped. Her silence was taken as a response, and the woman – Cassandra, if she remembered correctly, - continued.

"The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

"And you think I did it? That's some pretty iffy proof." She'd started reading a fanfic before all this, and she definitely knew she needed to employ the whole 'act the owl' thing.

"Explain this."

"I can't." She gave the token hesitation before she answered.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't know what this is, or how it got there." Too bad she hadn't gotten very far in said fic. And she hadn't even gotten to start the game! Woe of woes. She snorted.

"I fail to see how this is amusing," Leliana spoke as Cassandra launched at Jessal. "You're lying!" Leliana stepped forward, backing Cassandra away. "We need her, Cassandra."

Time for the empathy card. "I can't believe it. All those people… Dead?"

This time, it was Leliana who spoke. "Do you remember what happened? How this began?"

"I remember sitting with my friends…" She shot up, making it to her knees before almost toppling forward. "Where are they?"

"Where are who?"

"The others? There was me, Alex, Renee, Aaron, and Jacob. Renee's the youngest, she's twelve. Where are they?"

"Safe. For now. Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift." Leliana left, and Cassandra knelt, undoing the irons.

"What did happen?"

"It will be easier to show you."

Her next few steps were wobbly, and she nearly fell when she made it to her feet.

She followed Cassandra outside, the bright light - that's wrong, sunlight isn't green - blinding her momentarily.

"We call it the Breach." She continued to walk, not waiting for Jessal as she looked up at the giant green hole in the sky. "It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour." Jessal finally turned to look at Cassandra. "It's not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave."

"I've seen the aftermath of a lot of different explosions, but there's no way an explosion did that."

"This one did. Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world."

The Breach pulsed, her hand suddenly felt as if it were on fire, and Jessal's already shaky legs went out from underneath her.

Cassandra approached her, kneeling to be near eye level. "Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this but there isn't much time."

"You've got my friends practically hostage. I don't really have a choice about this."

"None of us has a choice." She pulled Jessal to her feet although Jessal was sorely tempted to reject her help. They began walking through the ... town? village? Jessal wasn't sure. it was smaller than her own hometown. The townspeople scowled and glared, and Jessal suddenly had to clamp down and fight the urge to growl. She settled for glaring back, chin high and shoulders back with a dignity she didn't actually possess.

"They have decided your guilt. They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead."

Two soldiers opened the gate and Cassandra continued. "We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves as she did. Until the breach is sealed." She pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes still binding Jessal's hands, and she instinctively flexed them before rubbing her wrists.

"There will be a trial. I can promise no more." Jessal stepped back and looked back to the Breach.

"Come. It is not far."

"Where are you even taking me?"

"Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach." And with that, they continued forward, Jessal wondering just what the hell she'd just stepped in this time.


	3. Chapter 3

They passed between the two guards at the first gate with no incident, though Jessal wasn't really expecting anything to actually happen. Passing three wounded on the left, she stared at the man in robes that just _screamed_ church, reciting something. "Before the host of the faithful..."

She saw wounded people and corpses ahead and a wave of unease crashed through her. Something unnatural had been a part of that. Like, Unnatural, even for Bioware. She ducked her head and followed Cassandra's boots. Words registered, but she kept her gaze on the boots in front of her. _Don't look, just don't..._

"... Through the paths of this world, and into the next. For she who trusts in the Maker..."

"Open the gate! We are headed into the valley!" Glad to be done with the bridge and it's sights, she followed as Cassandra picked up the pace, up a hill to the left.

The barricades themselves weren't all that unnerving. However, the men screaming about the end of the world definitely was. They reached a burning wagon at the top of the hill, and she made it a few steps past it before the thing on her hand flared, and her legs gave out. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if her hand eventually lost all feeling eventually. The numbness after the flash of pain was welcome, even if it made it hard to move her fingers.

"The pulses are coming faster now. The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face." Cassandra spoke as she helped Jessal up.

"How _did_ we survive the blast?"

"They said you... stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious. Except the little girl. She was oddly calm about it all, if a little disoriented. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes." Jessal felt a twinge of regret and nostalgia. That meant Andraste's ashes were just... scattered everywhere. They wouldn't help save the world this time. "I suppose you'll see soon enough."

They continued on the path in silence until they came to the second bridge. Midway across, something hit it, and suddenly, there was no stone under her feet anymore. When she hit ice she immediately scrambled up, ignoring the sharp pain in her ribs. Another mass hit the ice a distance away, and it took her a moment, but she knew a Shade when she saw one. They were far more gruesome in real life, though.

Cassandra leaped into action. "Stay behind me!"

When a second Shade popped up, she looked around, hoping for daggers, or a sword, hell, even just a shield! The only weapon she could see within reach was a mage's staff. She wanted to call bullshit, but, this wasn't any different than using a broom to drive off a coyote. If push came to shove, she'd just have to use the blade on it to stabbity mc stab stab. Her mind flitted to a memory even as she lunged for the staff.

" _Yes, but she seems more 'Ooh, pretty colors,' than 'Muahaha! I'm Princess Stabitty! Stab, kill, kill!'"_

She brought the staff around just quick enough to block insanely large claws. She shoved, just barely pushing the shade far enough away that she had time to wield the staff like a baseball bat, blade out, and swing, but missed as the shade dodged. A blade pierced through its chest, and as it fell, Cassandra removed her sword.

"It's over," Jessal muttered, looking to the warrior in front of her.

"Drop your weapon. _Now_." Faced with a sword - _a_ _fricking sword_ \- to the face, she dropped the staff.

"Okay, now that's just rude. A demon attacked me, what was I supposed to do?"

"You don't _need_ to fight."

"Oh, so it's not going to happen again? Great!" She knew she probably shouldn't be so sarcastic and flippant, but god damn, a person had their limits.

Cassandra sighed, sheathing her sword. "You're right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless... I should remember you did not attempt to run."

"Where are all your soldiers?" Jessal asked as Cassandra took the lead again.

"At the forward camp, or fighting. We are on our own, for now."

They continued along the ice, Jessal almost slipping a few times. Sighing as yet again, they climbed a hill, Jessal started lagging a little behind. She was an art major, for crying out loud, not a cross country all-star or some shit. At the top, she bent backwards, stretching. As soon as she was at that point of 'can I keep going or am I gonna fall,' Cassandra spooked her, and she fell, frowning until the words registered.

"Demons, again?" She scrambled to her feet, following Cass down to fight them. Now, Jessal was normally a button masher, but when someone 'irl' tells you to flank, you flank. The fight was over as quickly as it started, and as the adrenaline finally started to fade, she became aware of a new ache. Ignoring it until the last possible moment seemed the best idea, like with finals and chores.

Back on the river, it was a quick, if a little demon populated, walk to probably the biggest set of stairs she'd seen in person.

 _I'm going to die..._ She hated stairs.

"We're getting close to the rift, you can hear the fighting."

"Who's fighting?"

"You'll see soon. We must help them." Well, if that wasn't ominous, she didn't know what was. All she could think of was a cartoon villain rubbing his hands and saying, "You'll see, you'll see."

At the top of the stairs, her legs were a little wobbly, but hey, she could still stand!

They turned right, and jumped down. A new twinge. Was all she going to do was injure herself? Then she grinned. Varric was there!


	4. Chapter 4

They made quick work of the shades, although there were a few moments that Jessal was sure she was going to die, adrenaline-fueled indecision costing her a nasty slash on her forearm, and a nicked forehead. Blood slowly dripped into her eye, obscuring her peripheral sights, which was why she was startled when a really warm hand - almost feverish, were they sick?- grabbed her wrist.

"Quickly, before more come through!" Her arm was jerked towards the floaty green mass, and suddenly her arm was on fire, a half-formed memory of having poison Ivy all over her arms after playing in the woods flooding her thoughts as the rift closed, bursting outwards. Had it exploded? Or imploded? How had he known that would work?

"What did you do?" She turned to look at him, using her free hand to wipe the blood off her face.

"I did nothing, the credit is yours." She shook her head, scoffing. "Clearly you hit your head because I didn't even know this thing was any more than a nightlight." Next to her, Cassandra looked to Varric, as if he'd know what a 'night light' was.

"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake- and it seems I was correct." Cassandra jumped back into the conversation.

"Meaning it could also close the Breach itself."

"Possibly." He turned back to Jessal, tilting his head. "It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

"Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." He stepped closer to Jessal, and she turned to look at him. "Varric Tethras; rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong." He winked at Cassandra, and Jessal could just hear her scowl. "You wrote Hard in Hightown. My niece is a fan of it. Anyways, it's nice to meet you, Varric." Behind her, Solas quipped, "You may reconsider that stance, in time."

"Aww, I'm sure we'll become great friends in the valley, Chuckles."

"Absolutely not. Your help is appreciated, Varric, but…" Sweet baby Jesus, did she ever have anything positive to say?

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need me." Yeah, show her who's boss, Varric! She scoffed, and Jessal grinned. Varric, one; Cassandra zero.

They began walking, Varric and Solas falling in at her sides, while Cassandra took the lead.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions. I'm pleased to see you still live." Came from her left.

"He means, 'I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.'" On her right.

"I can't close the Breach and keep Renee and the others safe if I'm dead. Thank you." She flashed a small smile to Solas, before going back to watching where she put her feet.

"Cassandra, you should know; the magic involved here is unlike any I have ever seen." He paused, glancing curiously at Jessal before continuing. "Your prisoner is no , I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood. We must get to the forward camp quickly."

"Well, Bianca's excited!" She laughed, hand once again wiping her eyes clear of blood. The bleeding was slowing now.

"This way, down the bank. The road ahead is blocked." Will she ever lose the stick up her ass? The world may never know.

"We must move, quickly." They made quick progress, though Jessal was sure Solas had to be in pain. What idiot went out into the snow, barefoot, then walked over rocks? Paving rocks, maybe, but not Roman Empire level. Just as she thought they may have an easy walk to the Breach, Solas called to Cassandra. "Demons ahead!" She had time to hear Varric snipe at Cassandra -"Glad you brought me now, Seeker?"- before they were in the fray again, weapons slashing and enemies dying. Well, she swung her bladed staff like a baseball bat, but fighting was fighting, right?

When the last wraith fell, they didn't bother waiting, Immediately making their way down the path, crossing the frozen river and passing a burning cabin. Stone steps led them to a cave, Jessal silently cursing the steps. "After this, I'm going to sleep for three days. I'm gonna be reborn like Jesus, but with glorious calves. Nothing's gonna stop me." The cave itself was eerily empty save a corpse, their footsteps echoing loudly, reverberating off stone until one couldn't tell where it originated from.

"So, where are you from?" Varric's baritone voice echoed softer than their footsteps, but still just as loudly, turning a quiet question into nearly a shout.

"Wha'?" Oh, so eloquent, Jessal. She mentally facepalmed. Thankfully they were nearing the exit of the cave. Or, rather, tunnel, since there were two exits/entrances.

"Accent, you sound like a dwarf, almost."

"Oh, eh…" She shrugged. "Around."

"You're from 'Around?' Funny, never heard of there." Dear gods, save her.

"Bit of here, bit of there. Moved around a lot as a kid. Why does it matter?" Her voice came out harsher, clipping short at the end as she gasped, mark flaring. Not the conversation changer she wanted!

"Shit, are you alright?"

"Ha, peaches and cream, Varric. Peaches and fucking cream." They climbed even more stairs, Jessal's thighs readying themselves to give out in protest. Vive la revolution!

"So… are you innocent?"

"See, I've got a horrible memory, so while I don't remember what happened, this is a very common occurrence for me."

"That'll get you every time. Should have spun a story."

"That's what you would have done." Cassandra, once again, with the holier-than-thou attitude.

"It's more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution." The conversation dropped off, and she took a moment to really listen. Wind howled through trees, snow crunched under booted feet, and something hissed. "Guys…?" They crested the hill, and, once again, had to fling themselves into battle, though this one took a little longer.

"Fucking demons! Can't go-" two wraiths down, Cassandra and Varric made a good tag team. "Three fucking seconds without-" Solas knocked the greater shade three ways to next Tuesday. "Tripping over their damned-" They dog-piled upon the lesser shade, figuratively. "Mindless packs!" They paused for a moment, and Jessal leaned backwards, sighing.

"I hope Leliana made it through all this." Oh, was Cassandra showing emotion beyond self-righteous fury? She scoffed. "The woman was a bard in Orlais, traveled with the Hero of Ferelden, and she's a spymaster. I think she's more than capable of getting through this cluster-fuck." She moved to take the fore of the group, and when Solas spoke, she barely heard him. "We will see for ourselves at the forward camp. We're almost there."

As they walked, Jessal resolutely looked away from any and all corpse-shaped things in the snow. The next rift, she was a little more prepared, and immediately threw her hand out, feeling the burning itch once again consuming her arm. If it can seal, can it disrupt them? A sudden pulse knocked her on her ass, and it seemingly stunned the demons. "These demons are really crimping my style, man," She hissed to no one in particular, scrambling to her feet to help the others take down the Fade-dwellers.

"Hurry, use the mark!" She nodded without noting who spoke, flinging her arm out once more, and when she yanked back, the rift sealed, and she grinned triumphantly.

While Cassandra and the soldiers spoke, Solas stepped up next to her. "We are clear for the moment. Well done." A warm rush of pride buoyed her mood, and she gave him a wide smile.

"Whatever that thing on your hand is, it's useful." She turned to face Varric.

"Tsk tsk, never thought a writer would waste words to state the obvious." Ignoring his indignant response, she crossed through the gate, entering the forward camp.

She let Cassandra overtake her, falling to the middle of the group as they approached Leliana and a man that radiated 'Warning: Toxic Douchebag' vibes. They seemed to really be going at it.

"You, Cassandra, the most Holy - haven't you all done enough already?"

"You're not in command here!"

"Enough, I'll not have it!" He paused, noticing the quickly approaching group." Ah, here they come."

Leliana turned. "You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is-"

"I know who he is," Jessal frowned. Did she really look that guyish? "I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution."

"'Order me'? You are a glorified clerk! A bureaucrat!" Yeah, Cassandra, because you're any better. Little miss Seeker.

"And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!" Oh, so the Templars aren't? Jessal rolled her eyes. Hypocrites, the whole church system.

"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know."

"Justinia is dead! We must elect her replacement, and obey her orders on the matter."

"Do you treat all possibly dangerous people as if they were children, to be talked over and ignored? Asides that, the Breach is a more pressing matter, because if it isn't sealed, order won't be restored, without order people panic! When people panic, there's chaos, and when the world's in chaos, well, you should just hand it all over to the demons on a silver fucking platter!" She hissed, pointing accusingly at the Chancellor.

"You brought this on us in the first place!" He sighed. "Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless."

"We can stop this before it's too late." She shot back.

"How? You won't survive long enough to reach the temple, even with your soldiers."

"We must get to the temple. It's the quickest route."

"But not the safest. Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." Leliana finally stepped back into the conversation.

"We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It's too risky."

"Listen to me. Abandon this now, before more lives are lost." Shut up, Roderick, nobody asked you.

The mark flared again, and Jessal hissed, biting her lip. That shit hurt. And itched, but mostly hurt. Cassandra turned to face Jessal. How do you think we should proceed?" It was a no-brainer. "Use the mountain path. Work together. We're all aware of the stakes."

"Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone."

"On your head be the consequences, Seeker." Again, Roderick, no one asked you. Rolling her eyes, she followed Cassandra through the gate and onto a path. This was either going to be great, or hellish. Somebody flip a coin, 'cause she couldn't tell.


	5. Chapter 5

Too absorbed in her own thoughts about the whole shebang, she barely realized when they started climbing the first ladder of what would probably be many.

"The tunnel should be just ahead. The path to the temple lies just beyond it."

"What manner of tunnel is this? A mine?" Solas asked Cassandra, while Jessal glanced around.

"D'ya think this was part of the Gauntlet?" She hadn't actually expected an answer, but one came from Cassandra. "No, it's part of an old mining mountains are full of such paths."

"And your missing soldiers are in there somewhere?"

"Along with whatever has detained them." _Yes, Solas, send the conversation to the guillotine._

"We shall see soon enough." _And the blade has fallen, thank you, Cassandra._

They climbed two more ladders before they found the entrance to the tunnel. Well, found is a strong word, Jessal was _pretty_ sure Cassandra knew where they were going. One shade and two wraiths later, Jessal was beyond ready for something good to happen. Like finding the lost squad, or the whole closing the Breach to go smoothly. So ready.

Passing the balconies, Jessal glanced over the edge, expecting there to be _something_ underneath. Instead, she saw inky black nothingness. Her stomach plunged through the bottom of her shoes. Really paying attention now, she saw the cracks in the ground, splintering across rubble heaped, chipped stone. She felt as if the floor was going to fall out from under her if she even thought about moving. She had to remind herself to breathe properly. When she realized the others hadn't stopped, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to put one foot in front of the other until she caught back up. The further she was from the balconies, the less dizzy she got, her heart slowly returning from its frenzied vacation in her throat.

Silently- save for echoing footsteps- they made their way through most of the tunnel. Up the steps to their left, she counted two shades and two wraiths. What, the Fade had a dream team? Another quick fight, in which Varric saved her ass twice. Until then, she'd thought she'd been getting better, but turning around just as a bolt gave the shade a unicorn horn quickly killed that idea. Steps ahead and on the right led them to the exit, with three scouts dead on the stony ground.

"Guess we found the soldiers." Varric sighed, Cassandra bullishly striding forward.

"That _cannot_ be all of them."

"So the others could be holed up ahead?"

"Our priority must be the Breach. Unless we seal it soon, no one is safe." Solas spoke from the back of the group.

"I'm leaving _that_ to the woman with the glowing hand." _Thank you, Varric, for being the voice of kinda-sorta reason._

"I understand the whole 'One is less than many,' but if there's a chance we can help them, we will."

Finally, they came upon the source of the fighting. The soldiers were up against the usual demons, but when Jessal disrupted the rift, and the others killed the demons, two entirely new ones spawned. _Oh hell, no._ the terrors were difficult, but tag teaming made it easier to kill them. Once again, she sealed the rift and sighed.

"Sealed, as before. You are becoming quite proficient at this." She flashed an exasperated smile at him.

"I would hope so." She tuned into Cassandra and the scout's conversation.

"-prisoner, Lieutenant. She insisted we come this way."

"Prisoner? Then you…" She shrugged at the woman. "It was worth saving you, if we could."

"Then you have my sincere gratitude."

"The way into the valley behind us is clear for the moment. Go, while you still can." Cassandra gestured towards the tunnel, and the lieutenant nodded. "At once."

"The path ahead seems to be clear of demons as well."

"Let's hurry then, before that changes;" For once, Jessal agreed with Cassandra. "Down the ladder, that's the way to the temple."

Apparently, long stretches of silence was normal for these people. They made it down the hill, two ladders, and a rather steep path before Varric suddenly spoke.

"So… holes in the Fade don't just _accidentally_ happen, right?"

Solas answered him. "If enough magic is brought to bear, it _is_ possible."

"But there are easier ways to make things explode."

"That is true." Solas dropped his part of the discussion, and Jessal was about to pitch in some of her own ideas when, once again, stick-in-the-mud Cassandra killed the conversation.

"We will consider _how_ this happened once the immediate danger is passed." Jessal rolled her eyes.

What could have been (an uneventful descent down three sets of steps), wasn't. Halfway down the second, Jessal tripped over a shoelace that untied itself and scraped both hands and tore the left knee of her jeans. Quickly righting herself, she continued walking like nothing happened, except for picking what might as well have been sand from her scrapes. One last set later, the Temple of Sacred Ashes was in front of them.

"The Temple of Sacred Ashes."

"What's left of it."

"That is where you five walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you. They said a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was." Cassandra sounded anxious, as if such things were more worrying than the Breach. They passed burning corpses and scattered bones. The scent of burning skin and flesh twisted her stomach, and she leaned over, heaving what few contents her stomach held onto ash.

"All those corpses and such we passed, and you're just now reacting?" Cassandra's voice held nothing but disdain tinged with disbelief.

"Not the sights, 've seen far worse," Jessal slurred, stomach still roiling. "'S the smell."

"And where have you seen worse, kid?" Varric interjected before Cassandra could.

 _Reddit's 50/50 thread and Holocaust museums._ "That's a story for another day." She sighed, slowly straightening up. "Let's keep going, yeah? The sooner we get out of here, the better." She stepped through an archway into the temple itself.

Varric whistled. "The Breach is a long way up."

"Thank you Varric, I really couldn't tell." Back behind them, The sound of approaching footsteps to the approach of Leliana and her men. "You're here! Thank the Maker."

Cassandra nodded to her before speaking. "Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple." She nodded once, curtly, before turning and issuing orders to her men.

"-ready?... Priso-" Jessal spun on her heel to fully face Cassandra. "I have a name, did you know? It's Jessal, not prisoner. Now, yes, I'm ready, though I Imagine getting me up there would be difficult."

"No, this rift was the first and is the key. Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach."

As she neared the rift, voices overlapped, sounding more like a fuzzy memory than any actual event.

"Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice." _I hate his voice._ It felt like his voice grated against an emery board, then dragged that filed nail down a chalk board.

"What are we hearing?"

"At a guess, the person who created the Breach."

"No, really, Solas? I thought it was- oh." Jessal stopped, staring at the glowing red lyrium. The others noticed it as well.

"You know this stuff is red lyrium, Seeker."

"I see it, Varric."

"But what's it _doing_ here?" He sounded distressed. Then she remembered. "Bartrand…" Varric gave her a sharp look even as Solas spoke.

"Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the temple, corrupted it…"

"It's evil. Whatever you do, don't touch it."

"If it's corrupted, then… could it be Blighted? If darkspawn taint somehow got into it… But then the lyrium would have to be alive." Jessal frowned, and winced when the voice came back.

"Keep the sacrifice still."

"Someone help me!" A new voice, less annoying.

"That is Divine Justinia's voice!" Cassandra surged ahead, and Jessal had to jog to keep up. The mark flared, and she was hard pressed to not stumble in surprise when she heard her own voice.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"That was your voice. Most Holy called out to you. But…" When the light pulsed brighter, Jessal winced, squeezing her eyes shut. Slowly blinking away the temporary blindness, she missed the spectral figures.

"What's going on?" Jessal jerked, surprised. That was Renee. Why had she been there? Large white splotches covered most of her vision.

"Run while you can! Warn them!" Justinia. The spots were shrinking now, she could see vague shapes.

"We have intruders. Kill them." That voice was almost as irritating as Ted Cruz', a thought in the back of her head supplied as another flash- Jessal was better guarded against this one- dissipated the figures.

"You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?" Cassandra stepped closer into Jessal's space, looming over her.

"I don't know! Back off!"

"Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place." Solas' calm voice drew their attention back to the situation at hand. "This rift is not sealed, but it is closed… albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side."

Cassandra immediately stepped back into the role of leader. "That means demons! Stand ready!" As armor and weapons clanged and arrows notched, Jessal opened the rift.

Later, if you asked her what happened, she'd have attempted to draw the 'snapshots' she remembered. And that's what they were. Split seconds burned into her memory, the rest forgotten. Disrupting the rift. Varric being thrown back into a boulder by the demon's whip. Ice flowing from Solas' staff as he and Cassandra fought the Pride demon close up. Sealing the Rift. and then nothing. These images played, over… and over… and over...


End file.
